My experience as an English teacher in Daegu, South Korea

Public Transportation in Korea

As a Southern Californian, I’m not accustomed to (reliable) public transport. Actually, I’m not accustomed to riding in something other than a car. One of the biggest changes for me was learning how to use public transportation and how to navigate it in Korean. My descriptions are overall pretty positive because I think that public transportation in Korea is relatively convenient and reliable. But I’ve experienced problems, as well.

City Buses – I have to admit, the first time I got onto the bus I was freakin scared. The bus starts moving before you even get on. I think the average time the bus stops at each stop is between 1-2 seconds. So once you’re on, brace yourself! It took me a while to get on the bus again because I didn’t want to fall on my ass. But, the buses are really convenient since there are only 2 subway lines in Daegu so they don’t cover many areas. They come about every 12-15 minutes. Also, it’s super easy to sleep on the bus. Somehow people here (myself included) wake up in time to catch their stop.

They usually announce the name of the stop in Korean and in English. FYI: This stop – it means the stop coming up. Next stop – it means two stops away.

In Seoul, you have to scan your card before you get off because it calculates the distance. Not the case in Daegu.UPDATE: As of February 2011, buses in Daegu now have card scanners for transfers.

Transfers are free! If you transfer between any combination of subway lines or buses within 1 hour (up to 3 transfers), then it will only charge you once. Unless you’re coming back the opposite way on the same line/bus. It’ll charge you again.

Intercity Buses – These buses make traveling in Korea that much easier. Most foreigners in Korea don’t own a vehicle, so taking the bus is a good option. In the major cities, there are buses that go everywhere. Some smaller cities aren’t accessible by train and sometimes the bus takes the same amount of time as the train to get somewhere. There are plenty of times to choose from and it’s easy to show up at the bus station to buy tickets on the same day you plan on traveling (unless it’s during a holiday). Bus tickets are pretty affordable. The price depends on the destination. It costs about 4,000won to get from Daegu to Gyeongju, but it costs about 12,000won to go to Jeonju and 23,800won to go to Seongnam.

Airport Buses – In Daegu, there are buses that go straight to Incheon, Gimpo and Gimhae airports. The bus drops off passengers right in front of the Departures terminal. It’s much more convenient than taking the train since the train stations are far from the airport. It’s also cheaper to take the airport bus than buying a train ticket. They load luggage on the bottom so you have plenty of room on the bus. Also, seats are reserved. Buying tickets in advance is highly recommended (up to 1 week in advance). The only downside is that the last bus going to Incheon leaves around 3pm, which isn’t very late.

Subways – Riding the subway makes me feel like a true urbanite. The subways in Daegu, Seoul, and Daejeon are relatively new, clean, reliable, and pretty speedy. I feel like the subway in Busan is slightly older and slower. But places are more spaced out in Busan so that could be the reason it feels slow.

Daegu's 2 lines

Navigating the subway system in Seoul is kind of a headache. I recommend learning how to use the subway map on your cell phone, or if you have an iPhone/iPod, download an app called Jihachul (only in Korean) that relieves you of the hassle of having to navigate the best route. Also, if you are telling someone what stop you need to go to, say it and spell it right!! Saying the line number and what exit to meet at are also very helpful.

Seoul's bajillion lines

무궁화 (slow train) – We like to call it the ‘slow train’ because it’s much, much slower than the KTX and it takes a windy route that stops every 10-15 minutes. It travels so slowly, I feel like I could drive faster in reverse. It also plays the “We will be arriving in _____” music really loudly. I took it twice to try to save money. Never again. I had to take it like 3 more times since other trains were sold out. Never say never.

KTX – By far, the best way to get from Daegu to Seoul. The KTX is fast, smooth, and usually on time. I’ve missed the train twice because they’re so on time (and I’m not). KTX is the most expensive form of public transportation, costs twice as much as the slow train, but it’s worth it for those long trips from Seoul to Busan.

KTX 1st Class – Costs 15,000won more than a standard ticket for a little more leg room and a little more silence.

Some useful tips:

Buy tickets early. Especially for the trains and airport buses. Especially during weekends and especially during holidays.

Plan on being there early. You might have trouble finding the bus or train or you might have a really slow cab driver. Things happen!

Discounts. Find 3 friends and buy the family seating tickets on the KTX. Even ifyou can only find 2 friends, it’s still cheaper for 3 people to buy family seating than to buy their own individual tickets. Family seating sells out earlier so plan accordingly.

Get a transit card. It beats having to buy a single ticket coin every time or digging for cheon won and some loose change. Each city has its own transit card that also provides a discount on the bus and subway.

Check the websites. You can look for trains, intercity buses and city bus routes, etc. The info is out there somewhere!

Have a map handy. Or at least try to memorize which direction you should be taking on the bus or subway.

Downsides:

Crowded. During rush hour, buses and subways get crazy packed. The pushing doesn’t help either.

Bad timing. I seem to have this problem when I’m in a hurry (Murphy’s Law??). Just missing the bus, subway, or train is the absolute worst.

It takes long. Sometimes the bus or subway just doesn’t cut it. Driving might be faster in some cases, when the roads aren’t too jammed. There are always taxis around.

I have to admit that recently I’ve been getting frustrated with the public transportation system. Having to wait so long for the bus (especially the express bus) I feel like I waste a lot of time just waiting. Even though I think public transportation is usually very good, I’d prefer to drive or at least have it as an option.

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hi there, I need to get from daegu to the incheon airport. i was planing to take the KTX from daegu to seoul station, then the AREX to icheon airport. but in your posting, i read “there are buses that go straight to Incheon, Gimpo and Gimhae airports” from Daegu. would you happen to know the link to this bus (that’s directly from daegu to seoul airport)? thanks.